N2 Applied winner of Serum Sustainability Award 2017

N2 Applied is the winner of the Serum Sustainability award 2017. This prize – initiated by Nortura and McDonalds Norway– awards the solution that most significantly contributes to steering the supply chain of food and agricultural products in a sustainable direction. The jury complimented N2 Applied’s disruptive technology for sustainable livestock production that reduces ammonia emissions and simultaneously contributes to the farmers’ profitability. The prize was awarded during the Serum conference on November 15^th in Norway. The N2 team is honored and even more destined to contribute to sustainable food and agriculture production chains and profitable farmers business.

 

The Serum Sustainability Award was handed out at the Serum Conference on November 15^th 2017 in Norway. The prize is initiated in 2017 – therefore awarded for the first time – by Nortura and McDonalds Norway and honors the solution that has the greatest potential for developing the value chain for food and agricultural products in a sustainable direction. Degree of innovation, commercial potential and the team potential to bring the product to the market are other criteria for the Award.

Magnus Nyvold – Agro Scientist – received the Award on behalf of N2 Applied. The jury qualified N2 Applied’s disruptive technology for sustainable livestock production as a winner with great potential. The jury stressed that there were 19 good nominees, and selected there 6 candidates for the finals, Adigo, Saga Robotics, Nofence, BioCHOS, N2 Applied and BioSort. In particular, the jury highlighted the possibilities for this technology to be used in developing markets like Africa and Asia, and the possibilities for integration with other innovations like biogas digestion, renewable energy and waste water treatment. Pia Martinsen Mellbye, CEO of McDonald’s Norway noted that: “The project is an ingenious example of climate-smart agriculture.”

N2 Applied’s solution offers farmers an alternative to traditional – industrially produced – fertilizer, enabling them to produce a fertilizer product that is not only more environmentally friendly, but also improves plant uptake of nitrogen and subsequently increases crop yield for each individual farmer. The principle behind the solution itself is not new, but N2 Applied developed an innovative and energy efficient way to fix nitrogen from air and use it to react with manure. By Norwegian industry experience from Professor Kristian Birkeland arc principles, and modern process technology N2 Applied has developed the solution for a more sustainable use of nitrogen resources in agriculture. The technology enables local production of fertilizer, using only electricity and air, thus providing the farmer with the ability to enrich manure with nitrogen and eliminate ammonia emissions. For farmers in developing markets like Africa, this is particularly valuable, as they can utilize the abundance of available solar energy. Being able to reduce ammonia emissions and simultaneously contributing to the livestock farmers’ profitability is unique. It enhances the transition of linear oriented production chains into circular production. Creating a closed-on-farm-nitrogen-cycle and improving the quality of the manure protects the environment from greenhouse gas emissions and mineral leaching to water, making agriculture more environment friendly.

N2 Applied is honored and even more destined to contribute to sustainable food and agriculture production chains and profitable farmers business. The prize of 100 000 NOK to further develop the technology, is highly appreciated. N2’s solid and motivated team will continue working on the goal they are destined to achieve – giving the world more, better and sustainable food.